Method of extinguishing fires.



No. 700,967. Patented May 27, I902; J. D. MOORE 8|. F, M. MARTIN. METHODOF EXTINGUISHING FIRES.

(Application filed May 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

m: nonms PEYERS co. moTcLumu. WASHINGTON, 0.1:.

NlTED STATES i ATENT FFICE.

JOHN D. MOORE, OF NEIV YORK, AND FRED M. MARTIN, OF BROOKLYN,

NEYV YORK; SAID MOORE ASSIGNOR TO THE CLAYTON FIRE EXTIN- GUISHING &DISINFECTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING FIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,967, dated May 27,1902. Application filed May 22, 1901. Serial No. SL343. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we, JOHN D. MOORE, of the borough of Manhattan, and FREDM. MARTIN, of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of NewYork, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Extinguishing Fires, of which thefollowingis a specification, reference being had to the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of the same.

Our present invention pertains to the general plan of charging closedcompartments with gas for the purpose of fumigating or preventing orextinguishing fires therein, disclosed in patents to Thomas A Clayton,No. 633,807, dated September 26, 1899, and No. 661,4:97, dated November13, 1900, and is an improvement on such method especially de signed foruse in extinguishing fires in certain kinds of merchandise which whenonce started are so persistent as to defy all ordinary methods for theircomplete extinction.

It has been found that no ordinary combustibles can be ignited in aclosed chamber the atmosphere of which contains a certain proportion ofsulfur-dioxid gas, varying from two or three up to fifteen per cent. Ithas also been found that a great majority of combustible materials suchas usually constitute the cargoes of ships when completelyignited and inan advanced stage of combustion may be very quickly extinguished bycharging the compartment in which they are contained with a similaratmosphere; but attempts to extinguish in this way a fire which has oncefairly started in a mass or bale of cotton have resulted in failure. Thepractical and immediate reason for such failure is the fact that it isnot feasible or practicable to charge a compartment, such as a sectionof a ships hold or a room in a warehouse, with an atmosphere which is anabsolute non-supporter of combustion, and it appears that an atmospherecontaining the highest proportion of sulfur dioxid which it is practicalto produce is not alone sufficient to extinguish fires of the refractorynature referred to. In working on this problem-that is to say,extinpartment which is closed substantially airtight to produce andmaintain therein a pressure even slightly above that of the atmospherethe presence of a comparatively small proportion of sulfur dioxid--sayfrom eight to fifteen per cent. will almostimmediately extinguish a firein a mass of baled cotton which'may have gained such headway as wouldpersist even were the bales immersed completely for a considerable timein water. This method of extinguishing fires-to wit, by producing andmaintaining under pressure in an air-tight compartment in which theignited combustibles are stored an atmosphere containing such a gas assulfur dioxid-- is the only practicable one, so far as we have anyinformation, for extinguishing a cotton fire, one of the most dangerousand destructive of all that occur 011 shipboard and instorage-warehouses.

The method may be carried out in many ways and by the use ofwidely-different forms of apparatus; but in the accompanying drawings wehave illustrated a simple and effioient apparatus for the purpose.

A designates a retort or generator by which a large volume ofsulfur-dioxid gas may be produced. Any of the ordinary devices commonlyused for this purpose maybe employed, though We prefer the form which wehave described and shown in an application filed by us of even dateherewith, Serial No. 61,342. From the generator A a pipe connectedtherewith serves to convey the gas to one or more compartments, whichare closed substantially air-tight. In this pipe is inserted anysuitable force-pump P, by the operation ofwhich the gas is drawn fromthe generator and forced through the pipes D and Cinto compartment E. Asthe generators of the usual kind are not instantaneous in theiroperation, it is our purpose to maintain a supply of sulfur dioxid whichwill be always ready for immediate use.

With such object in View we employ a storage-tank or accumulator B,which is filled with sulfur dioxid under pressure obtained either fromthe generator A or from any other source of that gas. In case a fireshould occur in the compartment E the pump P is set in operation and thecharge of sulfur-dioxid gas drawn from the storage-tank B. This suppliesthe necessary proportion of gas while the generator is starting inoperation. The pipe D constitutes a by-pass to the tank B, which iscontrolledby the valve F.

We have found that when by the above operation an atmosphere has beenproduced in the compartment containing from ten to sixteen per cent. ofsulfur dioxid and with a pressure of one or two inches of water is ampleto suppress and completely extinguish burning bales of cotton into whichfire has eaten for several inches; but the proportion of gas may bevaried and the pressure greater or less, according to circumstances.

The invention is applicable generally, of course, to the extinguishmentof fires in airtightcompartments, whether on shipboard or elsewhere, andit may be carried out either by the simple form of apparatus hereinshown or by any other system suitable for the purpose which is capableof producing the proper atmosphere and pressure in the compartment to beprotected.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. The method of extinguishing firesin cotton-bales and similar combustibles,which consists in confining thecombustibles in-air-tight compartments, and, producing and maintainingunder pressure therein, an atmosphere containing a gas which is anon-supporter of combustion.

2. The method of extinguishing fires in cotton-bales and similarcombustibles,which consists in confining the combusiibles in air-tightcompartments, forcing into the same a mixture of air and a gas which isa non-supporter of combustion until a pressure is produced therein andmaintaining such pressure until the fire is extinguished.

3. The method of extinguishing fires in cotton-bales and similarcombustibles,which con sists in confining the combustibles in anairtight compartment, and charging, under pressure, such compartmentwith a mixture of air and sulfur-dioxid gas, as set forth.

4. The method of extinguishing fires in cotton-bales and similarcombustibles,which consists in confining the combustibles in air-tightcompartments, and, in case of fire therein, injecting into thecompartments sulfur dioxid from a supply of the same stored underpressure for immediate use, and then generating a further supply ofsulfur dioxid and forcing it together with air into the compartments soas to produce and maintain a pressure of gas therein, as set forth.

JOHN D. MOORE. FRED M. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

M. LAWsoN DYER, BENJAMIN MILLER.

